Senior officials from Qatar during one of their visits to a German city.
Doha: A delegation of senior officials from Qatar University (QU), Qatar Foundation (QF), Shell-Qatar, Qatar Energy and Environment Research Institute, QF Quranic Botanic Garden Project, Qatar Science and Technology Park (QSTP) and other institutions recently visited Germany.
The officials visited Bonn, Hamburg and Berlin and four Unesco biosphere reserves in Germany on a 10-day trip to deepen bilateral ties in the field of biosphere reserves, nature conservation and botanical gardens.
In addition to day-long visits to coastal, terrestrial and riverine nature reserves, the group had several political meetings, including with the German Unesco Commission in Bonn, high-level representatives of the German Federal Foreign Office and representatives of the Qatari Embassy in Berlin.
The trip was held on an initiative of the German Embassy in Doha and the Unesco Doha Office. Financially supported by Unesco, it was funded by the Visitor’s Programme of the Federal Republic of Germany; a long-standing programme designed to showcase high-level stakeholders and experts on specific aspects of Germany.
The visit was related to sustainable environmental development and meant to foster rapprochement among cultures and support Qatar National Vision 2030.
The German Ambassador in Doha, Angelika Storz-Chakarji said: “We are pleased that we could invite this group of 12 Qatari stakeholders from various environment-related sectors to Germany. Germany has a world-renowned profile in environmental management and boasts 38 Unesco World Heritage Sites.
“I am happy the Qatari delegation could gain first-hand impressions of many of them during their trip. I hope this will further strengthen German-Qatari ties in that sector in a year during which we also celebrate 40 years of German-Qatari diplomatic relations.”
“The embassy is working hard to offer similar tailor-made trips for Qatari stakeholders from other disciplines in the near future,” she added.
Unesco ‘s Ecological Sciences Advisor of the Arab Region, Dr Benno Boer, said: “At Unesco we are extremely happy about this important element aiming at international friendship and inspirations into environmental best practices. A majority of female candidates participated. This is a significant support promoting women’s capacity in science-based environmental management”.
The Peninsula
